PCA 2025: A Decade Later, Still Driven by Passion

27 Mar PCA 2025: A Decade Later, Still Driven by Passion

By Humberto Areas, Creative Director at Cigar Package Design

This April, the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show returns to New Orleans, and for me, it feels like coming full circle.

The last time I stepped foot in the Big Easy for PCA (then called IPCPR) was back in 2015. It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years—a decade of designing, building, and helping brands make their mark on the cigar industry. But I remember that trip like it was yesterday.

Flashback to 2015: A Trunk Full of Dreams

Ten years ago, I made the journey from Florida to New Orleans by car, trunk packed to the brim with everything my clients needed to make a powerful impression—cigar boxes, banners, brochures, business cards, you name it. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was meaningful.

That trip happened to fall on my birthday—July 17, 2015. The skies were clear, the road ahead wide open… until I noticed flashing blue lights in my rearview mirror. A speeding ticket may have delayed my arrival, but it didn’t derail the mission: to deliver on time and help my clients shine on the trade show floor.

2025: Same Mission, New Milestones

Fast-forward ten years, and my mission at Cigar Package Design hasn’t changed. If anything, it’s grown stronger. We still stand by our commitment:
“We Help People Build Cigar Brands.”

Whether it’s crafting standout packaging, designing immersive trade show booths, or bringing a new brand to life from scratch, we exist to make sure our clients are remembered—on and off the showroom floor.

Let’s Connect at PCA 2025

This year, I’m heading back to New Orleans with a deep sense of appreciation for the work we do and the relationships we’ve built. PCA is more than a trade show—it’s a reunion of industry peers, friends, and creators.

If you’ll be walking the floor at PCA 2025, I’d love to connect. Whether we’ve worked together before or you’re just getting started in the cigar world, don’t hesitate to say hello.

After all, it’s the people in this industry that make what I do not just a job—but a calling.

See you in NOLA!
— Humberto Areas
Creative Director, Cigar Package Design